Wormery

What is a wormery?

A wormery is a highly effective unit that converts ordinary kitchen food waste (and other organic matter) into a useful liquid feed and rich organic compost, all through the natural action of the tigerworms that live inside.

So, how do wormeries work?

A wormery is typically divided up into a number of chambers. In one of these live the tigerworms. All you do is drop your daily kitchen waste into the bin and forget it. The worms feed on the food waste and convert it into concentrated liquid feed and bio-rich organic compost. Wormeries are easy to use and very rewarding. But vitally, they stop a significant proportion of your waste heading to landfill.

Your wormery will give you two very useful products. The first of these is a strong, nutrient-rich, liquid feed which can be diluted and used as an excellent general purpose fertiliser for plants indoors or out, lawns and flowerbeds. The second product is a very fine potting compost which is in most cases ready for direct use. The compost product from a wormery is widely accepted by gardeners as the best you can get - hence it's nickname of 'Black Gold'.

Why worms?

Nature has provided us with the perfect waste disposal unit in the worm, and tigerworms are simply the most efficient at dealing with organic waste. They live their whole lives in the dark, moist atmosphere of the wormery; eating the waste material you put in and converting it into liquid feed and compost. The worms are native to the UK and occur naturally outdoors wherever there is organic waste such as an old compost heap.

Does it smell?

No. Well designed wormeries should not smell at all. As the waste material you put in starts to decompose in the wormery, it is consumed by the worms thereby effectively eliminating the possibility of odour.

How do I start up a wormery?

You can either buy one or create one yourself. Basically you need a container, worms, bedding for the worms and then keep supplying the organic waste. There are several different types available to buy. If you buy a wormery, you should receive instructions from your supplier on how to set it up, get it going and how to maintain it. The value of this support should not be underestimated if you are a complete beginner. There are many companies who supply wormeries - here are a few, but more can be found on the internet.